Thousands expected to march 207-mile trek concluding at the gates of Marshall BioResources

ALBANY, N.Y., Aug. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The March to Abolish Animal Testing, a groundswell campaign demanding scientific research move away from animal models, steps off Sept. 12 in Albany and travels 207 miles west to Marshall BioResources in North Rose, New York. The 14-day march covers about 15 miles each day and will conclude with a peaceful rally at the gates of Marshall BioResources, one of the world's largest suppliers of research animals.

"The grueling pace of this march is intentional," said Ella Magers, co-director of the March to Abolish Animal Testing. "It's demanding, but any discomfort we experience pales in comparison to what animals at facilities like Marshall BioResources endure throughout their lives. These animals have been hidden from the public for far too long, and we intend to make sure they are seen, heard, and fought for."

The March to Abolish Animal Testing campaign leverages the animal welfare success that led to the recent closure of Ridglan Farms in Wisconsin, where more than 2,000 beagles were rescued after being bred for animal testing. It was the country's second largest beagle breeding facility behind Marshall BioResources, where an estimated 16,000 lab beagles are currently being held.

March to Abolish Animal Testing co-directors Magers and Gretchen Primack, both lifelong animal advocates, participated in the Ridglan Farms effort but did not meet there. Primack later conceived the idea for the march connecting Albany, the seat of New York state government, with Marshall BioResources. Magers heard Primack discuss the idea in a podcast interview and reached out. The two began organizing together almost immediately, and within weeks, dozens of national coalition partners, including Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and Center for a Humane Economy, joined the campaign.

"Ridglan showed what can happen when people refuse to look away," said Magers, who rescued her beagle, Jane, from Ridglan, where the dog had spent her entire life in a 2-by-4-foot cage. "Thousands of animals finally know life beyond a cage. Now we're carrying that same determination to Marshall."

In addition to banning the use of dogs in US experiments, the March to Abolish Animal Testing seeks to end federal funding for animal experiments, and an end to laboratory pipeline facilities with evidence of animal cruelty like Marshall BioResources.

"Outdated animal models no longer reflect the future of research," said Primack. "We have superior, non-animal methods at our fingertips that not only eliminate the need for animal testing but also provide superior human-relevant results. This march is about building public pressure and demanding an end to a system that treats sentient beings as disposable--and continues bad science to boot."

In the UK, Save the Dogs is coordinating a London march in concert with the Albany kickoff, followed by a later march to MBR Acres, a Marshall BioResources facility in the UK, with the final-day peaceful rally planned to occur alongside the U.S. finale.

The March to Abolish Animal Testing website: https://www.marchforanimals.org/.

The March to Abolish Animal Testing launch video: https://www.instagram.com/reels/DbECsK1gKXL/.

About the March to Abolish Animal Testing
The March to Abolish Animal Testing (MAAT) is a bold national campaign designed to accelerate the abolition of animal experimentation through mass public awareness, political pressure, coalition-building, media visibility and large-scale nonviolent action. Starting with a rally in Albany, N.Y. on September 12, 2026, the march proceeds along a 207-mile route to conclude with a peaceful event at Marshall BioResources in North Rose, N.Y. on September 26, 2026.

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SOURCE The March to Abolish Animal Testing